5 tech travel hacks I learned after 2 months backpacking in Asia — don't make the same mistakes as me
Last year, I backpacked across Asia for two months, and it was the best time of my life. My boyfriend and I started in South Korea (where we'd just spend two years teaching English to kindergarteners), and traveled to Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand before heading back home to the U.K..
The picture you see above is us on the summit of Mt. Batur in Indonesia — look at the clouds! They're so beautiful they don't even seem real. But also... look at my shoes.
I'm wearing my Merrell hiking boots (that I love, don't get me wrong). This was a major error — they took up so much space in my luggage and I only wore them a couple of times because it was just way too hot.
So I though I'd compile everything I learned while traveling Asia, so you don't make the same travel tech mistakes as me. Please learn from my oopsies.
Why was this a mistake? Because I have a MacBook Pro M1 14-inch, which weighs about 3.5 pounds, give or take. That is pretty heavy when you're trying to save as much weight as you can for airplane luggage.
What should you do instead? You should definitely take an iPad or just your phone instead. Booking tickets and managing itineraries might be a little tricky on a phone, though, so I'd recommend taking one of the best tablets. I have an iPad 2021 (I took that too!) and I wish that had been the only computer I'd taken.
Why was this a mistake? It's all about saving space when you're traveling. What was the point of taking a pair of headphones and earbuds? I never wore the headphones either, because I couldn't be bothered to dig them out of my backpack.
What should you do instead? Take the smallest earbuds you can find. I loved the ANC on my AirPods Pro 2 when I was on flights. I can also recommend the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, because the ANC is second-to-none. Alternatively, the Sony WF-C710N could be a good, cheaper option, with great ANC for just $119.
These are my favorite earbuds in the world. I used them while traveling, so I can say with confidence that the ANC is good enough to block out airplane engine noises and even loud intercity buses.
Why was this a mistake? I guess you're noticing a theme here... taking books was a fool's error! Why did I fill my backpack with paper books when I'm going to be carrying my luggage around? I ended up leaving some at a hotel's book swap.
What should you do instead? Definitely use the iPad or tablet you're going to take to read books, or get a Kindle. The best Kindles can be as affordable as $159 these days. I recommend the Kindle Paperwhite (2024): it has an awesome 12-week battery life and is even IPX8-rated so you'll be able to keep reading at the pool without stress.
Why was this a mistake? For some reason, I took my Merrell hiking boots. Don't get me wrong, I love my Merrell hiking boots — they are some of the best hiking boots. But they are so big and so heavy. They took up loads of space in my luggage, and I only wore them once because they were so heavy — I resorted to my Teva hiking sandals the rest of the time.
What should you do instead? You should get a pair of really good trail running shoes and use them for both walking shoes and hiking boots. I have the Hoka Speedgoat 5 GTX right now, but I also like the look of the Merrell Moab 3 for something more hardy. If I'd taken these instead, I would've had more space in my luggage, my feet wouldn't have got so hot on hikes, and I would've been able to squeeze a run in, too.
I have the Speedgoat 5, but that's because I bought the shoes a while ago. Now Hoka is onto the Speedgoat 6, which are lighter than the 5s (so even better for traveling) and are more durable (so better for more tempestuous environments).
Why was this a mistake? For obvious reasons, I wanted to get some shut-eye on various travel days. I traveled by plane, boat, bus, and train on my 2 months in Asia, and I had to suffer through all of them by resting my cheek on the window and begging sleep to come.
What should you do instead? You should definitely get a good travel neck pillow. A travel pillow is essential for sleeping on planes. Tempur-Pedic's travel pillow is $69 and is super plush, which will help you sleep on public transport.
Tempur-Pedic (yes, the same brand that makes some of the best mattresses in the world) has a plush travel pillow for just $65. This travel pillow is reportedly very firm, which makes it perfect for propping you up on long travel days.
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